Newport drugs gang jailed over plot to flood streets with cocaine

Jahad Hussain, Tommy Brunnock, Mutaz Yafai, Parvez Uddin and Shahid Kahim were caught trafficking the class A drug in Newport, Cardiff and Penarth.

Some members of the Newport gang were also variously selling ecstasy, ketamine and cannabis before being smashed following a Gwent Police investigation.

The criminals’ growing operation could bring in as much as £1,200 a day and had over 1,000 potential customers thanks to a profitable drugs line.

Nuhu Gobir, prosecuting, said: “This is a case involving a police investigation called Operation Bentley into an organised crime group.

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“It was headed by Jahad Hussain who was using a dedicated drugs line.

Jahad Hussain

“All the conspirators are from the Newport area and live within close proximity to each other.

“They were operating a very busy drugs line.

“A substantial amount of cocaine, ketamine and cannabis was sold, mainly in the Cardiff and Penarth areas.

Tommy Brunnock

“Hussain was a disqualified driver and Yafai would drive him around in expensive vehicles and Yafai would use his own BMW X to sell drugs.”

Hussain, 24, Brunnock, 22, Yafai, 26, Uddin, 31, and Kahim, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and conspiracy to supply class B drugs.

Uddin and Kahim were caught by South Wales Police officers in the Roath area of Cardiff last year with more than £20,000 worth of cocaine, ecstasy, ketamine and cannabis in a fake taxi.

Mutaz Yafai

The duo were jailed for 32 months and 33 months respectively in August 2022 after they admitted drug trafficking offences.

Christopher Rees KC, for Hussain, told Cardiff Crown Court his client was a man of previous good character with no convictions recorded against him.

Ed Mitchard, representing Brunnock, said: “He is a vulnerable and immature young man who became involved after building up a £2,500 drug debt.”

Parvez Uddin

Andrew Taylor, mitigating for Yafai, told the court: “The defendant only made a few thousand pounds from this, not the king’s ransom some may think.

“He was not a prime mover.”

Christopher Evans, for Uddin, said: “The defendant was acting under the direction of the owner of the drugs line.

“He is an intelligent man with a degree and had a job in fraud analysis.”

Shahid Kahim

Gareth Williams, representing Kahim, said: “He was at the bottom of this conspiracy.”

Judge Lucy Crowther said: “This was a large street dealing county lines operation.

“You Mr Hussain were in charge of a lucrative operation and you Mr Brunnock provided practical and trusted help to him and were involved in operating the drugs line.

“Mr Yafai, you were involved in two types of class A drugs.”

She told Uddin and Kahim: “You were the delivery drivers.”

Hussain was jailed for six years, Brunnock locked up for three years and eight months and Yafai sent to prison for three and four months.

Uddin and Kahim will have to serve custodial terms of six months and five months respectively on top of their current jail terms.

All defendants are set to face a proceeds of crime hearing on August 18.